| Johnny Depp gives a strong performance as bank robber John Dillinger. Indeed, watching his quick smile and characteristic facial expressions, the viewer sometimes finds himself hoping that Dillinger will get away. Perhaps this is the major problem with the film: the incongruency between the likable Depp and the gratuitous violence of his character. Or perhaps the film fails because of its inability to effectively portray the "folk hero" Dillinger ("I rob banks because that's where the money is") with the violence of the act. [The director does a much better job with the character played by Christian Bale-we consistently see the conflicts he faces.]
Or perhaps the film just bites off much more than it can chew by trying to meld the hopelessness of the Depression; the politics of a young J. Edgar Hoover; and the differences between Dillinger,” Pretty-Boy" Floyd, "Baby- Faced" Nelson and the mob.
It ends up closer to a long Untouchables; using dark cinematography and an overly melodramatic score to make the point(s).
| Drama! Well that about says it all. Throw in a lot of violence, a little love story and you have the story of John Dillinger. The cinematography is superb and plays a large part in putting the audience into the “mood” of this very dark 1930’s film. Johnny Depp is superb in the role of Dillinger as is Christian Bale as the G-Man leading the charge against crime in Chicago.
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